Globally produced, locally bought
The produce sections in northern Illinois supermarkets are becoming crowded. Unfamiliar fruits and vegetables are joining potatoes, cabbage, and tomatoes.
The expanded selection is largely the result of increased global trade. For example, many older locals remember that, when they were younger, watermelon or cantaloupe were only available in grocery stores in the summer.
Now, they can buy fresh melon – as well as corn on the cob, peaches, and yellow squash – all year long. They also can enjoy fruits and vegetables unheard of when they were children.
Among them:
– Wasabi: Consumers who desire spicy snacks enjoy wasabi. Wasabi is a member of the Brassicaceae family that also includes cabbage, mustard, and horseradish. Unlike cabbage and mustard, wasabi is sometimes difficult to grow, so authentic wasabi paste and powder is expensive.
The plant’s roots are ground into a paste and used as a condiment for other foods, such as fish or rice, in a manner similar to how horseradish and hot mustard are used. The paste can be dried and dusted on dried green peas, peanuts, or soybeans.
Volatile allylisothiocyanate – not to be confused with capsucin, which is found in chili pepper – is the compound that gives wasabi its heat. Researchers have reported that this compound has antimicrobial properties making it a potential food preservative.
– Kiwifruit: Kiwifruit has been available in local supermarkets for many years, although many have not tried it.
It is native to northern and eastern China, and was introduced to New Zealand in 1906. Today, commercial kiwifruit farms operate in California, Texas, and Florida as well as South Africa, Japan, Italy, Greece, France, Canada, and Chile.
The flesh of kiwifruit is usually bright green, but some varieties produce off-white or yellow flesh. The flavor of the flesh is described as sweet, tart, or bitter. Some people claim kiwifruit has a slight strawberry flavor.
Kiwifruits are rich in potassium, vitamin C, and vitamin A, and the seeds contain the essential fat linoleic acid. Some health experts say the fiber content of kiwifruit reduces the risk of colon cancer and may benefit asthmatic children; others warn that some people are allergic.
A protein-dissolving enzyme actinidin makes raw kiwifruit undesirable in desserts containing milk or dairy products.
– Carambola: A native of southern India and Sri Lanka, carambola is more commonly known as “star fruit” because of its prominent longitudinal ribs. When the oval fruit is cut horizontally, the slices have a star shape.
The first carambola fruits were brought to Florida in the 1870s but were used as ornaments. Later, consumers discovered that they are a versatile food.
The flavor of the fruit ranges from sour to slightly sweet. The sour taste is due to a combination of acids including oxalic, tartaric, citric, and fumaric acids. Green fruits tend to have a slightly higher acid concentration than yellow fruit. Carambola fruit contains less than 4 percent sugar.
When picked early, carambola ripen slowly, in 2 to 3 weeks. When ripe, the fruit is bright yellow or green. Ripe fruit is easily damaged and must be handled gently.
Consumers slice and eat carambola or add slices to salads and soups. Cooking carambola, especially in high-sugar syrups, often cause the skin to become tough.
According to Purdue University scientists, a 100-gram portion of carambola contains 36 calories and less than 1 gram of protein. The vitamin C content ranges from 26 to 53 mg per 100 grams of fresh fruit. It also contains measurable amounts of iron, thiamin, riboflavin, and niacin.
– Longan: A warm-climate fruit, longan berries – also known as “dragon’s eye” – originated in southern China. Longan trees produce the fruits in drooping clusters.
Longan berries have a juicy, musty-sweet-tasting flesh covered with a yellow-brown to red-brown rind. The single round seed in each berry is jet black with a white spot, giving it the appearance of an eye.
Longan berries are eaten fresh or dried over a wood fire, which gives them a smoky flavor. They can be frozen and their rind prevents them from degrading when they thaw.
Fresh longan berries contain about 82 percent water and 60 calories of energy per 100 mg, according to Purdue University researchers. One hundred grams of fresh longan fruit
also contains about 16 g total carbohydrates and 1.2 mg of iron.
Although native to southern China, longan trees also grow in southern Florida. Practitioners of traditional Asian medicine regard longan fruit as an antidote for some poisons and a treatment for insomnia.
– Muscovado: Muscovado is a type of unrefined brown cane sugar that possesses a strong molasses flavor. It is coarser and stickier than other types of brown sugar.
It is popular in the south Pacific and the Caribbean for making rum and sweetening coffee, tea, and other beverages, and Filipinos snack on granules of muscovado. Muscovado, which can withstand high cooking temperatures and has a long shelf-life, has about 80 percent sucrose and 275 calories per 100 grams. (Refined cane sugar contains 400 calories per 100 grams.) It also has about 85 mg of calcium, 25 mg of magnesium, 100 mg of potassium, 1.3 mg of iron and 4 milligrams of phosphorus.
– Cherimoya: Native to the Andes Mountains in South America, cherimoya is now grown in many parts of the world, including southern California. Also called the custard apple, the cherimoya is a green-skinned, heart-shaped fruit, produced on a fast-growing evergreen tree.
Ripe cherimoya fruits have a dark brown skin and a white, creamy flesh. The toxic black seeds must be removed before eating the flesh. (Ground cherimoya seeds are an effective insecticide.)
Some people describe the flavor of cherimoya flesh as a blend of banana and pineapple with a hint of mango. Most people eat it raw, because cooking destroys the flavor and texture. It is frequently served chilled but can be incorporated into fruit salads, ice cream, or cookies.
It can be stored briefly in a refrigerator or frozen.
One hundred grams of cherimoya fresh flesh contains 74 grams of water and 94 calories.
– Tomatillos: Although tomatillos are often mistaken for small tomatoes, the plants that bear the two vegetables belong to different genus and species. Both plants are in the same family, though, which also includes the poisonous nightshade.
Tomatillos have a paper-thin husk that must be removed before they are eaten. Most recipes require tomatillos to be cooked to soften the skin and improve their flavor. They are often added to sauces and salsa.
The red and purple varieties are sweeter than the tarter green and yellow varieties. Removing the husk increases the amount of time tomatillos can be stored in the refrigerator. They also can be frozen.
Some of these exotic foods may not be available in all local grocery stores, but many produce managers are happy to order on request. Many exotic fruits and vegetables also are available on the Internet.
Dom Castaldo, of Mount Morris, is a biology instructor at Sauk Valley Community College in Dixon. Reach him at critterdoctor@hotmail.com
